I. Name

In biblical genealogical tradition Joseph is the son of Jacob and Rachel (Gen. 30.22–24). His name is a hypocoristicon, presumably of *yôsîp-ʾēl/DN like yôsîpyāh (Ezra 8.10). Tradition preserves two explanations of his name, the one linking it to the root ’sp (Gen. 30.23 E.?), the other to ysp (Gen. 30.24 J.?); the latter interpretation is probably correct. The name expresses the classical wish for a quiver full of children (Ps. 115.14; Noth, IPN, 212; de Vaux 1971; André, TWAT 3 [1977–82…